Alaska governor undergoes minor skin cancer surgery

Gov. Mike Dunleavy underwent outpatient surgery on Wednesday for skin cancer, his office said this week, and the governor returned to work the following day.

The procedure was announced on the governor’s social media accounts, which said the 62-year-old “underwent a procedure this afternoon to address recently detected basal cell carcinoma.”

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, and in most cases is easily treatable.

Dunleavy underwent similar surgery in 2019, and Jeff Turner, the governor’s deputy communications director, said the latest procedure is related to that one.

At the time, the governor’s social media account said that like many Alaskans, he enjoys spending time outside in the sun.

“Moral of the story, wear sunscreen,” the account said.